Zhang Wei soon spent several pleasant days on the ship.
One day, the ship's hull suddenly began to shake violently, and the sandstorm outside intensified.
Rubbing his eyes, he muttered, "What's all this noise about..."
Accompanying the sandstorm was the grating sound of metal folding, making one doubt if the ship would break apart.
Stepping out of his cabin, he saw several attendants looking flustered, seemingly terrified by the noise.
"What's going on? What's with the shaking of the ship?"
An attendant awkwardly explained, "This... to avoid unnecessary panic, we are not allowed to talk about such things." Big Wind Novels
Zhang Wei casually took out a ten-bell coin and handed it over. These attendants' daily wages were only three to four bells.
Ten bells was already a considerable sum.
The attendant glanced around, then leaned closer to Zhang Wei and whispered, "The Aerial House floats above the Sand Sea and shouldn't be affected by sandstorms, but there are exceptions."
"The first is a sandstorm tide, which occasionally reaches the height of the Aerial House, but apart from severe shaking, it's not very dangerous."
"The second... is the terrifying monster fish of the Sand Sea. They have the ability to fly through sandstorms, and periodically attack the Aerial House with sandstorms. And these monster fish love the humans inside the Aerial House the most!"
Terrifying monster fish of the Sand Sea...
It seemed he didn't have any of those in his collection yet.
"Are those fish tasty?"
The attendant was stunned and exclaimed, "People can't even escape them, and you want to eat them! You know, any one of those monster fish has a capture level of five, and they travel in packs! Ordinary adventurers would be devoured upon sight!"
"The Desert Kingdom has long wanted to eradicate these monster fish, but they live in the Sand Sea all year round, making it difficult for ordinary people to venture there."
Level five?
Such a friendly level.
Zhang Wei gave a wry smile. It had been a long time since he saw someone so terrified of a level five creature.
He had been traversing for too long and had forgotten that level one ingredients could fight ten elite hunters armed with shotguns, and level five ingredients could at least contend with a platoon of a modern army.
"Alright then."
*Dong!*
*Dong!*
*Dong dong!!*
The sound of metal colliding rang out, and the attendant's face changed drastically.
"It's really a school of monster fish!"
"We're doomed..."
"Why is my luck so bad? To encounter these things!"
Whether they were tasty or not.
At least his collection didn't have them, right?
After resting for so many days, it was time to get some exercise.
Dressed and ready, he opened his cabin door. Countless sandstorms had swept into the ship's interior. Following the flow of the sand, Zhang Wei found a breach.
"The hull is made of hollow steel plates half a meter thick. Although it's a bit soft, to create such a large opening, it must have considerable destructive power, at least among level five."
Wind Control Technique!
Magnetic Sense!
Flying into the sandstorm outside, he used Wind Control Technique to forcefully halt the raging sand. The dull, ugly fish hidden within the sand were exposed, their eyes fixed on Zhang Wei's senses.
"Damn, what ugly fish!"
These fish were rhombic, roughly resembling piranhas, with flat faces and protruding, puckered lips.
Their scales were a dull yellow, providing effective camouflage in the sandstorm. The bones in their heads were sharp, seemingly used for impact, and their prominent teeth also appeared quite sharp.
[Discovered Captureable Ingredient: Sharp-forehead Sand Tiger Fish]
[Capture Level: 5-10]
[Taste Level: 12]
[Habitat: Valley of the Sandstorm]
[Size: 70-140 kg]
[Description: Piranha-like fish that can ride sandstorms, they gather in schools. The larger the school, the more sand they can carry, allowing them to fly higher and farther.]
[Description: The cranial ram has hardness comparable to steel, and their teeth can tear through tougher prey. They are fond of primates like humans. The fish meat is slightly fishy and suitable for stewing.]
"Hmm... as expected, an ingredient not in my collection. A taste level of 12, that's quite good fish meat."
"You little darlings aren't going anywhere. Come and play with me properly."
At this time.
People inside the ship's cabins were even more terrified. Not only was sand swirling in, but man-eating fish were constantly smashing against the hull, and many had already met their demise. Outside the windows, lightning, never seen in desert regions, flashed, causing the locals to tremble in fear.
Wrath of the gods?
Some had already fallen to their knees, praying for divine forgiveness, while others shivered in corners, awaiting death.
In the legends of the Desert Kingdom, no one had ever survived an attack by a school of man-eating fish. No one held out hope for survival.
However...
The impacts became fewer and fewer.
Even the sound of lightning outside disappeared.
"Could it be that the gods heard our prayers and forgave us?"
"That seems to be the only explanation." Da Feng Novel Network
In Zhang Wei's cabin, Cang Ma exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, look who's here! Who was it that said they wouldn't be in the kitchen for the next month when they first boarded?"
Cang Ma was about to prepare lunch, not expecting Zhang Wei to be so busy already.
He took out over a dozen Sharp-forehead Sand Tiger Fish. These large fish, freshly caught, had not yet been bled.
First, the fine scales were removed. Then, three cuts were made on each side of the fish along its natural lines for better flavor penetration. The gills and internal organs containing bacteria were removed. The rest was marination.
"Shichimi Liquor!"
"Sushi Salt!"
The Shichimi Liquor was diluted tenfold, with five grams of sushi salt per fish.
The processed Sand Tiger Fish weighed approximately 35-75 kg each. Five grams of sushi salt was already a very light seasoning. If ordinary salt were used, each fish would require at least 120 grams of salt.
One milliliter of Shichimi Liquor could dilute ten liters of high-quality cooking wine. However, the Sand Tiger Fish had a strong muddy flavor and consumed more cooking wine. Fifteen Sand Tiger Fish required ten milliliters of Shichimi Liquor.
"Jade Onion!"
Also a high-quality ingredient from the Gravity Well, these onions were as clear as jade, edible as fruit and usable as chopped garnish.
The onions were chopped, the garlic minced, and the mixture was kneaded into the fish belly.
A large pot was prepared to heat oil, and the fish was pan-fried over low heat until golden brown on both sides.
"Mmm~ the taste is surprisingly good, with a unique flavor of the desert region."
Sugar...
Vinegar...
Light soy sauce...
Dark soy sauce...
After the flavors had been stir-fried, yellow bean paste and a small amount of One-Essence Water were added.
With the addition of One-Essence Water, the nutrients in this dish were better retained, making it very suitable for those with high energy consumption like Cang Ma and Sheng Tarou.
The sugar in the seasonings was also a product of the gourmet world, providing ample energy, preventing hunger after eating.
After half an hour of simmering, all the flavors had infused into the fish. Finally, the sauce was reduced, and the Braised Man-eating Fish was complete.
"Not bad, you two come and try it."
"Hahaha, I could smell it from so far away. I've been holding back for ages."
Cang Ma and Sheng Tarou immediately sat at the dining table, eager to taste it.
Zhang Wei then produced a bottle of "Yō Yō Wàng Qíng Shuǐ" (悠悠忘情水), an extremely fine wine with a taste level of 65.
Cang Ma's craving for alcohol was immediately piqued, and he said enviously, "How do you get acquainted with so many fine wines? Everything you pull out is such high-quality stuff!"
"Misunderstanding."
Zhang Wei replied, "I am acquainted with all delicious ingredients."
Sheng Tarou was more focused on the food in front of him. After taking a bite of the fish, he praised it enthusiastically, "What a unique taste! The flesh is firm and somewhat dry, yet not tough, almost like eating the red meat of a mammal!"
"Every bite has a springy texture, a bit like dried beef jerky. But there's moisture inside, and with every chew, you get a burst of concentrated fish juice!"
"Stewing is definitely a very suitable cooking method. Firstly, the flavor is richer, which can suppress the dryness of this fish. Secondly, it's easier to absorb flavor, preventing different tastes inside and out."
...
Sheng Tarou continued, "I haven't seen this fish in the Gourmet Bank. Where did you get it?"
Zhang Wei was speechless, "Don't you pay attention to what's happening on the ship? This ship almost sank, with over a thousand lives at stake."
Sheng Tarou chuckled and pointed at Zhang Wei, "I didn't expect you to be so kind-hearted."
"Nonsense, as a chef, I bring happiness to people. But you, as a regeneration master, shouldn't you be saving the injured and helping the vulnerable? Why are you so indifferent to the lives of ordinary people?"
Sheng Tarou shrugged, "I'm not that great. Otherwise, with billions of people in the human world, I'd be too busy. Besides, everyone on this ship is a part of the food chain."
Then, Sheng Tarou began to explain the theory of regeneration masters.
The radical faction of Sheng Tarou's beliefs held that the lives of a few individuals were meaningless because population is determined by natural resources. Regardless of what happens, the population will always trend towards the maximum number that resources can sustain.
For example, if natural resources can support 70 billion people, the population will quickly recover to 70 billion after any number of world wars.
And even without wars, if the population exceeds 70 billion, internal competition will arise due to a lack of resources, leading to the death of some people, indirectly saving food for those who survive.
This is the population constancy theory of radical regenerationists, who believe that as long as nature is maintained, individual lives have no meaning.
Of course, there are also gentler conservatives who believe that humans are born with human rights, that every life should be respected, that common people should have basic living guarantees, and that the strong should not act arbitrarily, keeping power within bounds.
Sheng Tarou shrugged, "These gentle conservatives are too bothersome. They turn a blind eye to the cruel laws of the world! They are lost in their own idealistic world."
"However, we are in agreement on environmental protection, so there haven't been any overly intense conflicts."
Because regeneration masters have a deep understanding of human nature, their theories have been adopted by the Human World's Supreme Gourmet Council, giving regeneration masters considerable political capital.
For instance, the Hundred Level Restrictions Act was based on the theoretical foundation provided by the moderate faction.
The human world's conventional governments retain the right to wage war, a product of the radical faction's theory of natural competition.
...
There was a commotion at the cabin door. A group of ferocious thugs burst in.
These fellows, each armed with a flintlock musket, pointed at Zhang Wei and the other two as soon as they entered and snarled, "You are hoarding food! Hand over all your food immediately!"
These thugs had red handkerchiefs on their sleeves and called themselves the Red Scarf Society.
"What is the Red Scarf Society?"
The thug proudly declared, "The entire ship is run by us, the Red Scarf Society! We are composed of oppressed poor people. This ship is no longer controlled by you rich folks!"
Zhang Wei was taken aback.
What kind of strange development was this?
Just a ship, and it had been infiltrated by pirates?
Zhang Wei shrugged and returned to his seat to enjoy the delicious meal, saying to Cang Ma and Sheng Tarou, "I've cooked the food. You two handle the rest."
Sheng Tarou stood up and said, "Such wicked acts are not punishable by death, but I happen to be short on fertilizer..."
Cang Ma said, "Leave one for me. I need to record a confession to reflect the public security issues in the Desert Kingdom."
This interrogation yielded some crucial information.
When the Sharp-forehead Sand Tiger Fish attacked, they had smashed the ship's water tank and food storage areas. All five hundred tons of grain and two thousand tons of water had been scattered and lost.
Now, the ship only had scattered remnants of food, not enough to last even three days. And the journey still had about twenty days left.
This time was enough to starve most people to death.
Zhang Wei looked at the cables outside the Aerial House, realizing it was indeed a closed environment. Below was the vast and boundless Valley of the Sandstorm, over five hundred meters from the ground, an environment where humans could not survive.
The Aerial Houses before and behind were thousands of meters away, and there was no way to traverse them...
Cut off from water and food...
These thugs, who were likely wealthy merchants' guards, clearly understood their predicament and had decided to strike first, using their superior force to increase their chances of survival.
"So they're not pirates."
"This scene reminds me of many old stories I've read, about ships, snow mountains, and other predicaments where human morality is tested. It's a cliché."
"It's conceivable that if we weren't here, this place would turn into a living hell in the coming days."
Cang Ma asked, "How many people do you think will be left on this ship in the end?"
Sheng Tarou shrugged, "Want to make a bet?"
Zhang Wei immediately interrupted them, "Let's not engage in such boring bets. The infighting among humans is not worth watching. I have some water and dry rations left. Giving them a little won't affect me."
With that said.
Zhang Wei left the cabin.
Sheng Tarou and Cang Ma exchanged a knowing smile, with a hint of approval in their eyes.
Stepping out of the cabin, Zhang Wei used his electromagnetic sense to locate all the survivors, approximately eight hundred people.
"Quite a few have already perished..."
Zhang Wei took a deep breath.
"Wind Control Technique: Suppress Harm!"
"Reduced power version!"
The air on the entire ship was stilled, and everyone's mobility was restricted.
Zhang Wei moved through the cabins, tying up all the survivors without exception with ropes, and gathering them in the main hall.
"Sheng Tarou, come here. There are a few who aren't quite dead yet."